


Miracles Happen

by Tarlan



Category: Pitch Black (2000)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-02
Updated: 2014-01-02
Packaged: 2018-01-07 01:01:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1113632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Fry is ripped from him, Riddick never expected to see her again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Miracles Happen

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sathari](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Sathari).



The shock of having Fry snatched from his grasp kept him motionless for several crucial seconds. This was not supposed to happen. She was not supposed to sacrifice herself for him, only for them; for Jack and the Imam. The thump of a body hitting the ground perhaps twenty feet away into the darkness shook him out of his shock and though he knew he ought to head back to the small ship and get the hell off this world, he ended up limping towards the sound.

Riddick expected to see one of the larger creatures but instead his light fell upon a woman's blood-stained body. Hobbling faster, he reached Fry and found a pulse. Still alive. Above him he could hear the weird calls of the creatures, and the crash of larger bodies as they attacked each other. No doubt they had attacked the one that had carried off Fry, attracted by the scent of her blood only to lose her.

The meager light from the bottle filled with bioluminescent slugs wasn't going to be enough but Riddick knew he could not leave her behind. She had awoken something in him; reigniting some spark of humanity within his soul and bringing with it an unwelcome burden of caring. It had been a long time since he cared for anyone other than himself. Cursing inwardly, he gathered up her smaller body and began to half carry, half drag her towards the ship. The clatter of metal and rake of sharp talons on the metal roof above his head made him look up, and his eyes pierced the darkness to see one of the creatures preparing to launch at him. Just as he was about to drop his burden and prepare for the attack, the intense brightness of a flashlight struck the creature and it screamed, leaping back into flight away from the light.

The Imam was by his side moments later, taking Fry's weight from him while Jack swept the flashlight in an arc around them, making a path of light back to the ship. Bright light spilled from its open hatch and they clambered inside quickly, sealing the hatch behind them. The creatures stayed back from the circle of light for the most part though the braver - or more hungry - darted in to scrape claws and razor sharp teeth against the hull.

Riddick wasted no more time and started up the engine, only to shut down everything, plunging the outside of the craft into pitch black.

"What are you doing?"

"Payback," he stated solemnly, waiting until he could almost feel the creatures closing in on all sides, could hear their weird calls and the scrape of their claws.

He hit the switch and lit everything up at once - lights and engine burners - grinning as the whooping cries turned to screeches as the creatures burned.

Soon they would reach the shipping lanes between the stars and, with luck, someone would answer their distress call.

Riddick set the ship onto automatic pilot and joined the Imam and Jack beside Fry, watching as the Imam used cloth from his own robes to staunch the bleeding from where the claws had dug deep into Fry's sides.

"Will she be all right?" Jack asked. 

The Imam smiled. "Yes... by the goodness of Allah, if we are found soon enough."

It was a miracle that any of them had found a way off that dark world in one piece, so this time Riddick did not remonstrate with the Imam for asking for one more miracle. And when the distress call was answered seven hours later, he gave silent begrudging thanks.

END


End file.
